


In All My Dreams I Drown

by serpentunder_t



Category: Revolution (TV)
Genre: Drowning, F/M, Mild Language, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 15:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5053867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serpentunder_t/pseuds/serpentunder_t
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie and Bass find themselves trapped as the water rises.</p>
<p>//Like Jonah we'll be swallowed whole, and spat back teeth and bones//</p>
            </blockquote>





	In All My Dreams I Drown

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the song In All My Dreams I Drown by The Devil's Carnival
> 
> Un-beta'd and I fell asleep halfway through writing this last night so I hope it makes sense?

“Come on Bass! Leave it” Charlie was screaming over her shoulder as she ran, hair flying everywhere.

Bass glanced back, seeing their would-be assailants gaining ground every second he wasted trying to dig through the dead man’s pack, searching for the intel they’d traveled so far to get. 50 feet away, then 40, when he could see their fingers twitching at their triggers, Bass gave up and ran. Thank god he’d kept up with his cardio. Charlie had slowed, so it didn’t take long for him to catch up. Grabbing her arm he kept propelling himself forward, dragging her along until she was meeting his pace.

Charlie ducked into some brush, darting around, trying to gain some advantage. He had to admit, the woman was smart on the fly. They’d be able to catch their breathes if they could just keep going till they were well enough into the wooden lot in front of them. He zigged while she zagged, both staying low, and hoping that they hadn’t been seen ducking off the path. If they were really lucky, their pursuers would still be running along that worn out road, following two people that weren’t there. But Bass had never been overtly lucky, so he wasn’t going to risk his neck on the off chance that fate smiled on him. So he kept running, barely feeling as thorns and branches ripped at his clothing and his skin.

Bass glanced over to find Charlie, but in taking his attention of the task at hand he could sense his foot hitting the root, felt his body continuing to move as his leg crashed below him. The rocks and sticks that caressed his face didn’t help as he tried to regain his composure in time. But before he could ever adjust his bearings, someone was yanking at his arm, dragging him up.

Her strength never failed to amaze him. Get some adrenaline in the girl and she could’ve lifted a damn car. And then they were running again, this time he followed her lead as she began trailing off, more cautious of her footing. She clearly didn’t want to leave an easy trail.

When Charlie finally jogged to a stop, Bass doubled over, panting. Yeah, okay he might be in great shape, but that he still wasn’t 20 anymore and running multiple miles through the woods was enough to make anyone want to puke. Even Charlie couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen into her lungs as she heaved at the air, her hair plastered to her face and sweat running down her body. As he caught his breath he took a moment to examine her, noting the gashes over every inch of exposed skin, and the tears in her clothes. He didn’t even want to think about how he must’ve looked.

“Thank god I did track.” He muttered, a sharp pain in his side.

“What’s track?” Bass couldn’t help the breathy laugh that escaped him. Of course she didn’t know what track was.

“Remind me if we get out of this alive and I’ll tell you.”

When they started moving again it was slower and with more purpose, trying to throw any of their ‘friends’ off their trail. The sun was starting to set when they heard the voices. Footsteps stomping through the wood. He could’ve sworn he heard Charlie murmur something about “idiot elephants.” They sunk further into the shadows, using the growing darkness as an advantage.

“We’ve got to do something”

“What do you want to do? Fight? We don’t have swords or guns, remember?” Her smartass tone came through loud and clear, despite their whispering. “There’s 20, at least.”

Bass felt the rage boiling to the surface. How dare these back wood, red white and blue, hilly billy fucks, have him, Sebastian Monroe of the Monroe Republic, running through the woods like a scared deer. He wanted to rip them apart, and one glance at the woman beside him and he could see it etched in the lines of her face that she wanted the same thing. But Charlie, ever the voice of reason since they’d started working together, put her hand on his arm, leading him back.

It was only after a few steps that Bass began to see what she was dragging him towards. It must have been an old mine of some kind, the wooden support beams coming out of the hill and opening up into a great pit of vast nothingness.

He met Charlie’s eye. This was dangerous, and reckless. But then he could hear the faint found of their followers again. Charlie shrugged, stepping forward into the darkness. Bass huffed, rolled his eyes, shrugged, and followed. If this thing caved in on them he was going to kill her.

 

The mine walls were damp and he could hear water dripping as they made their way deeper into the cave. The silence was roaring in his ears, making him far more on edge than those asshats in the woods had. It must’ve been an hour before Charlie finally broke the silence.

“Think we lost em?”

“We better have. They probably had the good sense not to walk into a death trap.”

As he finished his sarcastic statement he realized that Charlie’s footsteps were no longer beside him. “Psst! Charlie!” He heard a few clicks and then her face came into focus.

“Yeah?”

He just shook his head, grabbing the makeshift torch from her and examining his surroundings. “I damn near feel like Indiana Jones.”

He looked at Charlie, her eyebrow raised in annoyance and confusion. Blackout babies, couldn’t tell them anything. Oh well, Bass just kept walking deeper into the cave, Charlie at his side.

“So what’re you gonna tell Waln—“ She was cut off by a rumbling as the walls shook.

“Oh you have got to be joking! Really?” Bass screamed in exasperation. “God dammit! RUN”

And in the space of a millisecond they both took off, running at full force back the way they’d come. The rumbling grew louder and Bass almost thought he could hear running water when a tiny rock smacked into his head. Two second assessment and he was reaching out, grabbing at Charlie’s arm as she continued running.

“Charlotte!” The ceiling came crashing down, missing her by a few feet. Still holding her forearm, Bass leapt out of the way, dragging her with him.

Charlie stood, shaking dust from her hair. “FUCK!” Her voice echoed. “Seriously, fucking seriously?!”

Bass stood slowly, unsure. “Well we’re trapped.”

“Wow, you think genius.” He almost smirked, she was starting to sound like him. But their situation dragged his gaze away from her face.

“At least it can’t get worse. We’ll just keep going and eventually there’s got to be another exit.”

“DAMMIT BASS!”

“What?”

“MURPHY!”

“Murphy? What?” He was completely and totally lost.

“Murphy law or whatever. You just said it and now it’s going to happen!”

“Murphy’s law?” She nodded. “Chill Charlie, that’s an old wives tale. We’ll be totally fine, come on.” Bass took a few steps before he felt it, the squishing under his feet and the cold water seeping into his boots. Fuck.

Charlie glared at him.

“It’s just a little water, you aren’t afraid of getting wet are you?”

Picking up on the innuendo, Charlie just glowered some more, which brought a smile to Bass’s features. He did love messing with the youngest Matheson, she was fun when she was pissed. Scary, but fun. So they walked, sloshing their way through the tunnel.

They’d been walking for maybe 20 minutes when Charlie stopped. “Uhh, Bass.”

“What?”

“It’s rising.”

“Huh?” He turned around to face her, but she was staring at her feet. He followed her gaze to the water; what had been an inch or two up her boot was now up past her ankles.

“It’s rising.” This time her voice was harder, laced with anger and fear.

“Okay we gotta move Charlotte. We gotta get outta here.” He’d already turned and started jogging when he heard her speak.

“Really I thought now would be a nice time for a picnic, or a heart to heart.” And then her sloshing steps joined his.

 

They kept moving, searching desperately for any sign of a way out. But the mine was more of a maze than a cave and the water was quickly reaching knee level, slowing their pace.

Then waist level.

 

“It’s no use Bass. We’re trapped.” Looking at her now Bass was struck with a stab of terror. The water that was barely at his belt was up past her belly button.

“We’ll go back. Move some of the rocks.”

“Bass...” Her voice trailed off, pleading for something that neither of them knew.

But he wasn’t going to let her die, so he grabbed her and hauled her forward, retracing their steps as best he could. “Miles would kill me if you get yourself drowned on my watch. Come on.” He tried to keep his words light, mimicking the ones he’d once spoken to her in New Vegas. Her face contorted into something that could have maybe been a smile, and Bass could tell from a mile away it was as fake as the time she’d tried to play nice with Rachel. He wanted to comfort her, but how could he comfort anyone? He was an ex-dictator and murderer. So he just kept walking.  

They kept walking, trying to keep a good pace as they headed for where they’d entered. “So what’s track?” Her voice broke through their sloshing.

“It was a sport. Kinda. You’d join a team and run. Whoever got the finish first won.”

“That sounds like a stupid sport.”

“Yeah it kinda was.” He smiled. Trust a Matheson to keep a clear head in a life or death situation.

The water was up to her chest and Bass could feel the bile of panic climbing up his throat. The water was ice cold and he couldn’t help shivering as his teeth clattered. When he glanced at Charlie he noticed her body was tense, desperately trying not to let the cold or the fear get to her. Her jaw was tensed, unmoving, while her eyes where fixed ahead.

“Come on Charlie, it can’t be much further.”

“Bass.” His nickname spilled from her lips, a quiver behind the words. “I don’t want to die here.”

“Shut up Charlotte. You’re not going to die today.” Was he trying to convince her, or himself? He didn’t know.

He was having trouble moving as the water reached his chest, already swirling around Charlie’s throat.

“I have a confession to make.” Bass stared at her. “I’m not a good swimmer.” Bass let out a low sigh. Of course she hadn’t had much opportunity to take swim lessons living in a cul-de-sac in Wisconsin. Damn.

Trying to lighten the mood, “Well at least we found one thing you aren’t good at.”

Her fist broke the surface to punch him as he feigned pain. Still holding the torch above his head he began to make out something ahead.

“Charlie look.” It was the barricade of rocks that had trapped them inside. She sighed before they crept their way closer.

 

The rocks were heavy, he was freezing and exhausted. But he couldn’t let himself think about it, if he thought about it reality would set in. Even if they somehow managed to move them and escape they’d more than likely be greeted by a swarm of hostiles as the mouth of the mine. And if they somehow managed to survive them, they still had 5 days before they’d be back in Willoughby. 5 days was plenty of time for hypothermia or pneumonia to set it.

Charlie was gasping beside him as he worked, clearly standing on tip toes trying to keep the water from entering her mouth and nose. The roof was low, and she was running out of time. Trying to move the rocks was only making it more difficult for her to focus on keeping her head above water. “Charlie stop, I’ve got this.” He hauled another giant rock away from the top.

She was sputtering. “You have to tell Miles.”

“Tell him what?”

“What happened. I don’t want him and my mom to not know.”

He turned to her, grabbing her face with his rough hands, forcing her gaze to his. “You are not going to die here Charlotte. Not Today.” Her only response was a ghost of a smile as he returned to the task at hand.

Before Bass knew it he was gasping for air, the water still rising around him. He turned to find the woman he’d grown to care for beneath the surface. “CHARLIE!” Before he could think he gulped in oxygen and ducked under the water, finding her face.

It wasn’t much of a first kiss. He was busy trying to force oxygen into her lips, but he could still feel the way her mouth responded. Desperate and terrified.

He turned to the rocks, alternating between moving them and diving down to Charlotte. Her lips were like ice, but her eyes still responded even under the water.

When he went back to break the surface he was gripped by the fact that there was no more surface. A sliver separated the water from the roof and they were running out of time. He used his last energy, fueled by adrenaline and fear to kick out at the rocks.

They crumbled around him, the water pressure forcing them aside. He barely had a chance to grab onto Charlie’s arm as the current pulled him through the opening.

The swell took him and Charlie right out the mine, depositing their bodies in the mud as Bass sputtered, trying to clear the water from his lungs.

“Charlotte.” He had expected her to be gasping beside him, but one look told him she hadn’t moved. “CHARLOTTE!” Desperation and need ached through his screams, as he called her name like a prayer.

Straddling her lifeless body he immediately began pumping at her chest, the Hail Mary of a sinner. He followed his training, tilting her head back and covering her mouth with his. If felt like hours he’d been fighting to get oxygen into her lungs. He could feel the hot tears burning his cheeks as he worked.

The suddenly, like a miracle, she sputtered. Turning to the side, she coughed, water spurting from her mouth.

Relief washed over him as the adrenaline left his body shaking. He held her head as she regained consciousness, moving her hair from her face and watching in awe as her eyes began to open.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now. You’re safe.” He clung to her, dragging her to his chest as he murmured.

“Bass?” Her voice was weak, eyes still unfocused.

“You’re okay.”

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, huddled together on the ground. He only moved to stand once he noted the sky lightening as dawn approached. He pulled her up with him, her legs still unsteady as he began to lead them through the woods. He never once let go of her.

 

It was high noon and his clothes were drying on his skin when she finally spoke, voice still hoarse. “Thank you Bass.” Her words pulled him out of his reverie.

“Don’t ever do that to me again Charlie.”

“I’ll try not to.”

Still holding her hand he led them to a clearing, only releasing her when he began building a fire. Now they just had to stay alive long enough to get home, but that was a matter for tomorrow and today he didn’t care. His gut turned as he looked at the woman he’s almost lost, and for right now, he was content to bask in her ragged breathing and blue eyes. She was alive, and that was enough.

 


End file.
